Field Hockey's 7-game Tournament starts now

The Penn Field Hockey team is three games into its 2007 campaign. But after this start, they'd rather the season started tomorrow.

The Quakers (0-3) will visit Harvard (1-1) in both teams' first Ivy League matchup of the year.

"This is our season," coach Val Cloud said. "Harvard, this is our league, this our conference, this is the game we really want to win.

"Any Ivy League game is motivation," she said. "You don't have to psyche anyone up or motivate them. Ivy games are always so competitive."

The Quakers could use this new motivation, as they've yet to earn a win, and have led for a mere 16 out of the team's 225 total minutes played.

However, the squad did show signs of improvement in Wednesday night's game against Saint Joseph's, as the Quakers dominated the second half, but couldn't find the back of the net.

"We had an awesome half" on Wednesday, Cloud said. "We just played so well and the team knew it. They feel good going into [the Harvard] game."

And along with that momentum, the Quakers can also take heart that last year their first victory came against the Crimson.

In fact, the situation entering that game against the Crimson is very similar to the one this year. Last year the Quakers also started 0-3, including a close loss to St. Joe's the Wednesday before.

That year's game was a 2-0 Penn win at Franklin Field. Both goals were scored by underclassmen who return this year: current junior Margaretha Ehret, and current senior Nicole Black.

At the same time, the Quakers aren't just relying on their experience of last year to carry over.

"We don't look at what we did last year so much," Cloud said. "We're looking at what we are doing this year."

One factor in the game tomorrow is that it's the Quakers first true road test of the year. Although they've yet to play at Franklin Field, all of their games have taken place in Philadelphia, as they played two games at Temple and one at St. Joe's.

Fortunately for the Quakers, Harvard's stadium is Astroturf and Cloud said her team plays better on turf.

Since Harvard doesn't pose any specific matchup problems, Cloud believes if her team can dictate the style of play, the scoreboard might finally show up in a Quakers victory.

"We have . to continue attacking from the middle," she added. "If we can do that, then the people in the middle can distribute, and then we'll have plenty of space."

And if they can get their space, the Quakers may put some between themselves and the rest of the conference.

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